Late field goals seal a win for men’s side

The men’s basketball team evened its record at 8-8 with a split of University Athletic Association contests on the road last weekend, topping Washington University in St. Louis 69-66 on Friday but falling to the No. 12 University of Chicago 65-50 on Sunday. The Judges fell to 2-3 in UAA play, tied for fifth in the conference with WashU.

Judges 50, No. 12 Chicago 65

Brandeis entered Sunday’s contest with the Judges coming off a big game from forward Jordan Cooper ’18. On Sunday, Cooper posted a team-high 11 points and pulled down seven rebounds in a team-high 33 minutes on the court.The visitors also got a good day from guard Robinson Vilmont ’17, who netted eight points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal for Brandeis.

The Judges managed to stay with Chicago for most of the first half, as neither side was able to jump out to more than a four-point lead. The Judges’ largest lead of the day came with three minutes, 35 seconds left in the half when guard Tim Reale ’16 netted two of his four points to hand the visitors an 18-14 lead.

In the second half, Chicago erupted for 41 points to run away from a possible upset bid, using an 11-3 run midway through the half to jump out to a 39-28 lead. From there, Chicago never looked back, maintaining a comfortable double-digit lead throughout the final quarter of the game.

Center John Powell ’17 was contained to just three points and three rebounds in 17 minutes of action. Guard Michael McReynolds ’19 continued to contribute off the bench during UAA play, seeing a season-high 19 minutes.

Judges 69, WashU 66

The Judges began the weekend road trip by gutting out a close victory over WashU on Friday night, topping the Bears in a thriller, 69-66. The Judges were presented an opportunity to close out the contest when Vilmont was intentionally fouled with 10 seconds left. Vilmont was unable to put in either free-throw attempt, allowing the hosts one final chance at a desperation three, which WashU junior guard Luke Sherman-Lloyd missed from beyond the arc.

Cooper and Vilmont led the way in the victory, posting a combined 43 points for the Judges. Cooper netted 23 points in 35 minutes, pulling down five rebounds and dishing out five assists in the process. Vilmont contributed 20 points and three rebounds to go along with three assists and a pair of steals in 27 minutes played.

Each of the Judges’ five starters netted at least five points, including seven from Powell and eight from guard Jack Fay ’18. Brandeis managed just five points from bench players but was able to hold the hosts to just 12 bench points of their own.

The Judges managed the defensive side of the ball well, holding WashU to 36.2 percent shooting from the field and a paltry 22.2 percent from three-point range. Brandeis shot 52.1 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Brandeis resumes UAA play this weekend when they host bottom-ranked Case Western Reserve University on Friday at 8 p.m. and Carnegie Mellon University on Sunday at noon.